Paradise Canyon

This film begins with a federal agent by the name of "John Wyatt" (John Wayne) being given an assignment to ride to Arizona to investigate a counterfeit ring that is operating near the Mexican border. From what he is told, the two main suspects are a convict recently released from prison by the name of "Doc Carter" (Earle Hodgins) and another man named "Curly Joe Gale" (Yakima Canutt). When he finally gets to the area in question, he finds Doc Carter driving from town to town in a truck peddling a tonic which supposedly cures everything. Also with him are two employees named "Ike" (Perry Murdock) and "Mike" (Gordon Clifford) along with his adult daughter "Linda Carter" (Marion Burns). That said, wanting to ingratiate himself with them to further his investigation, he helps them out of some difficult and is quickly allowed to join their traveling medicine show. It's also during this time that Curly Joe discovers that Doc Carter is now back in town and--fearful that he will expose him to the law--makes every effort to silence him, once and for all. The problem is that John Wyatt has gotten wise to the idea that Doc Carter was set up by Curly Joe and realizes the situation all too well. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an okay Western for its time with John Wayne putting in his usual solid performance. Admittedly, it is a bit short (only 52 minutes) but that was quite typical for the period in question. In any case, those looking for an old-style Western of this type probably won't be too disappointed and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

I agree with all the positive reviews but I do have the original movie and some idiot(s) have removed all the original soundtracks and have substituted some truly ghastly, awful music - all the same for the those '33-'35 Westerns.

My advice? Watch and listen to the real originals on your IMDb/computer and not the rubbish that is being played on Encore/Autry Western station. For fans of the original movie(s) the changes made to the music are absolutely offensive.

The old John Wayne westerns-before STAGECOACH are terribly important because they always pursue the ethical and attempt to do the right thing. Law and order is understood to be clear cut. Whilst we have been in this day and age, encouraged to see all sides of an issue, when evil is clearly defined-which it was in the John Wayne westerns, there was the feeling, that right MUST triumph and if John Wayne was starring, you knew it would be-because it was his mission to ensure that right was the result. Trivial in a career? No! Wayne didn't compromise his values.

Thank heavens he always sought to portray a good guy in his later films as well. He set a great example for us all. Just a footnote: When I attended law school as an older adult, I was the only student to pass a legal ethics class taught by a judge! It was thanks to those principles taught by Wayne, Wild Bill Elliott, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, et. al., that I think gave me that remarkable A!

Yakima Canutt and his gang of counterfeiters try to run his former partner Dr. Carter and his medicine show out of town before the "doctor" recognizes him and quite possibly blows the whistle on Canutt's involvement in a recent string of bogus bills. Luckily for Carter, undercover lawman John Wayne is the show's new trick shooter.

The last film Wayne made for Lone Star/ Monogram Pictures, this is more light-hearted and less action packed than other entries. It's still good fun with a few decent action scenes and stunts.

The best thing about it is the wonderful scene featuring the medicine show in all it's glory, including the sales pitch, music, and a trick shooting demonstration.

This is really just a rehash of half a dozen other plots written by Robert Tansey, and not even the charisma of the Duke can rescue it from mediocrity. Here he is "Wyatt" leading an US government investigation into a counterfeiting ring on the border with Mexico. He teams up with "Doc. Carter" (Earle Hidgins) and his daughter "the Princess" who run a medicine show - not sure if they may or may not be involved. There are plenty of frame-ups, doubles crosses and even some Federales as Wayne soon gets on the trail of Yakima Canutt ("Curly Joe") so now we know to expect some fun rough and tumble. It's fine, this - just nothing at all to mark it out as in any way special.

John Wayne and a couple of reasonable action scenes are about all that keep this B-Western afloat. The plot is mildly interesting, with Wayne working undercover trying to break up a counterfeiting ring. But it strains credibility a little too often, and the goofy medicine show settings, while occasionally amusing, cause at least one too many groans. The action scenes are OK, thanks to Wayne and Yakima Canutt, who plays the bad guy. Wayne was still progressing as an actor himself, and would later have much more of a screen presence, but he was obviously above most of the material in this movie. The film itself is really only interesting because he was in it, and it gives you reason to be thankful that eventually he was given a chance to move on to better things.